San Bernardino City Council approves Eviction Prevention Program

On February 3, 2021, San Bernardino City’s Eviction Prevention Program motion passed in a 7-0 vote.

This new initiative states that a renter of an apartment or house within the city may be eligible to receive one-time rental assistance under the city’s Eviction Prevention Program.

“Eligible households can receive assistance to cover past due rents and funds are paid directly to the landlord. To receive eligibility, you’ll need a form of identification, a copy of the lease agreement, proof of income for all household members (to ensure low-income assistance), documentation demonstrating a COVID-19 related impact through work layoffs or health concerns, and a notice of rent arrears or invoice from your landlord,” said Maria Gallegos, City of San Bernardino administrative analyst.

Eligible households may receive assistance for payment of up to six consecutive months of rent arrears.

“After checking eligibility, fill out the application online at sbcity.org/evictionprotection. Once filled out you’ll upload eligibility documentation and attach them with your application. Information contained in this application will be provided to the housing authority of the County of San Bernardino for processing,” continued Gallegos.

To date, the city has received over 900 applications, but many of them are incomplete.

“There are so many applications that are incomplete, so we should follow up with those applicants as to why they didn’t complete the application. We’re not servicing as many residents as we can with these funds and we have a time limit; if we don’t use these funds, we’ll have to give the money back,” said Councilmember Kimberly Calvin. 

Only residents residing in San Bernardino are eligible for the program; visit sbcity.maps.arcgis.com before filling out the application to ensure your home is located within city limits. For more information, visit sbcity.org.